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Cary Cooper (corr), Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at Lancaster University, said yesterday: “This is happening a lot more, particularly for professional people, because the stress of their jobs is so enormous now.

“The pressure on them, whether it’s business or politics, is pretty horrendous so what they do is take some time out, take a break, and then come back and clear some things off their desk and then go on another holiday again.

“Most people are just so overloaded that they feel a lot more comfortable going away for a week or two and then coming back than the thought of going away for a few weeks and coming back to such a huge in-tray.”

“It’s either that or doing what they did before which is going away on a three week holiday but working while they’re away by bringing their laptops and phones.”

A second break later this month will mean that David and Samantha Cameron have been away on holiday four times in just under five months.

At the end of May the Cameron family, including baby Florence, and children Nancy, 7, and Arthur, 5, spent a few days on the “party island” of Ibiza.

While Mrs Cameron, 40, sampled Ibiza’s famous nightlife, Mr Cameron, 44, was photographed ferrying the children around on a large yellow pedalo.

Mr and Mrs Cameron also went on a short break, flying by budget airline Easyjet, to southern Spain in early April.

The Camerons arrived for their current fortnight's break at the house Villa Petrolio in Tuscany, which sits on a hill surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, on Saturday.

The villa costs £9,700 a week and aides have said that Mr Cameron is paying his family’s share for the fortnight - £5,800 – out of his own pocket.

Downing Street said Mr Cameron had a “small group” of civil servants with him, at taxpayers’ expense, as he remains “in charge” of the country despite being on holiday.

The spokesman said: “There is a small group of officials who will support him wherever he was. Some of those people will be providing personal security.

“He has not got half the office with him but he has got enough to support him on any official business as required.”

The group were not lodging in the villa where the Camerons are staying but in other accommodation nearby.

The spokesman added: “It is normal that they would not be located in exactly the same building. It is part of the normal job serving the Prime Minister 24/7, 365 days a year.”

Mr Cameron, who posed for photographers on Sunday with his wife, is not planning to receive any official visitors in Italy.

Asked whether he might meet up Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi or any other world leaders while in Italy, she said: “No, he is on holiday.”

Pressed about Mr Cameron’s future holiday plans, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “He will be back in the office on the 15th of August, and taking a further break later on in August but those details we will tell you nearer the time.”